Fashion house Valentino has come under criticism for a series of handbag advertisements created with artificial intelligence, with viewers describing the imagery as "disturbing."

The campaign, reported by the BBC, puts one of Italy's best-known luxury labels at the center of a growing debate over how fashion brands use generative AI in their marketing. Valentino is not the first major house to experiment with the technology, but the reaction to these particular handbag ads has been sharply negative.

Critics who saw the promotional images flagged visual oddities typical of AI generation — the kind of anatomical and textural artifacts that still betray machine-made imagery, especially in close product shots where detail matters. For a brand whose handbags carry four-figure price tags and whose selling proposition rests on craftsmanship, the mismatch between product positioning and production method drew particular scorn.

The backlash follows a familiar pattern in the luxury sector. Brands eager to cut production costs and speed up campaign cycles have turned to AI tools for imagery, while consumers and industry watchers increasingly push back when the output looks wrong. Product advertising is especially exposed: shoppers scrutinize handbags, jewelry, and footwear closely, and AI-generated errors that might pass unnoticed in a background landscape become obvious on a leather goods close-up.

Valentino has not commented publicly in detail on the criticism, according to the BBC report. The house joins a list of fashion and retail brands that have faced similar reactions over the past year as AI-generated marketing materials spread across social channels and digital ad placements.

The episode also raises a commercial question that extends beyond one campaign. If a luxury label uses AI to advertise products that customers pay premium prices for precisely because of human craft, does the marketing method undercut the brand promise? For now, the market's answer — at least on social media — appears to be yes.

Mart Signal will continue to track how major fashion houses handle AI in their advertising and what it means for marketing budgets, agency relationships, and consumer trust in the luxury segment.